A variety of surface covering products (e.g., tiles, sheets, planks, and the like) are widely used in the building industry. Surface covering products are either natural (e.g., stone, wood, ceramic, and mineral bodies) or man-made (e.g., laminates and plastics). The man-made surface coverings are often fabricated to appear like a natural material. For example, vinyl tiles can include a pattern that imitates the look of marble or wood.
Although some man-made surface coverings can be resilient under foot, they typically are not designed with weight distribution in mind. As such, some man-made surface coverings tend to warp or displace when a load force is applied to the surface. The warping and displacement results in an unlevel surface. Natural tiles share in these disadvantages and are traditionally brittle and tend to crack or break during manufacturing, shipping, and installation. Although wood is strong and flexible, it rots, warps, and discolors as it weathers.
Installation of some of the present surface coverings requires the use of special installation techniques. Also, some installations require subsequent applications of an adhesive, filling of the joints with grout, or chemically bonding and heat welding seams that results from the installation of multiple sections (e.g., tiles or sheets) of the surface covering. Such procedures are substantially more costly and labor intensive, and are not always aesthetically, structurally, or functionally satisfactory, over an extended period of time. For example, a typical tile installation consists of 6% or more porous grout area. The grout area is easily stained and readily promotes bacteria, fungal, and mold growth. It requires labor intensive buffing or polishing, to maintain the top finish and, after an extended period of time, it also becomes necessary to re-grout most areas surrounding the tiles due to discoloration and sanitary concerns.